Car automation systems

[Quixote_1]

Hi guys,
I'd like to start a new topic on car automation systems, or rather systems for your car that can tie into your existing home automation systems. I'm not interested in any X10 devices. I am looking for new innovative ideas using current technology.

So far I think that the main factor for such a system is power consumption and the ability to remain operational at all times. My retired Motorola Droid (despite it's terrible, almost non-existent reliability), would probably be the best device to use. I can uninstall everything but Tasker, use the phone to broadcast an ad-hoc network that has no internet access, but look for the network SSID to check for the device's presence.

Can anyone else recommend any hardware that could be used in conjunction with the decommissioned phone? What other fresh ideas can you guys come up with? Is there a way to trigger events in Tasker by using another Android phone to send messages to that phone?

Thanks for your perspectives!

 

[tmbrown97]

I'll be the first to bite. What would you like to accomplish? Car automation is a broad topic - one I'd thought about for years.

In my case, I'd like to do some location-based automation... My house is off the beaten path - so 10 miles from home, I'd love to have something like ElkRP or ElkRMS pop up in-dash letting me see what's going on in the house; fix temperature settings; and even be ready so that as I pull up with the kids asleep in the back seat, to be able to press something on the dashboard touchscreen to disarm the alarm and unlock the doors.

I see a lot of potential *in theory* in the Android operating system...but I'm not sure it's there yet... so for my needs I suspect a CarPC would be the way to go - but too much work for me right now.

 

[ver0776]

I think the core would be an OBDII interface. Unfortunately, the van I just bought is a 1993, which is a few years to old.

Despite that, I am attempting to make a smart van using OSA for the automation. I am starting with Phidgets for Analog, Digital Input and Relay control. Some X10 Wireless for door contacts and motion. I am use a Netbook for the van's permanent system until I get a 12-v carputer.

I just started a blog called www.SmartVan.Blog.com I am still building the van so it will be a little while before I get to the automation part, but if anyone is interested in the whole process, I am posting it as I make it. The goal is a mobile office and stealth camper. Since I write the home automation software, it has to be my development platform also, so it will have ZWave and other automation techs all running in it. Overkill for most people, but it should be fun.

And YES, the USB gun turret is going in and will be under the automation systems control. =)

My tests so far allow the van system to talk to the house and vice versa using GTalk. They litterly talk to each other so there is no protocal. The Van just IMs the house, which triggers scripts, and the house IMs back, triggering scripts in the van.

Van (Speaker) "Hey get out of here!"
Van (Speaker & IM) "Arion, I need help, someone is in the van"
House (Speaker) "Vaughn, someone is in the van, please get up"
House (IM) "Master is coming to help"
Van (Speaker in House's voice) "Hang tight, master is coming to help."
Van (Speaker in Van's voice) "You are in trouble now, you better get out."
Van (glove box opened while alarmed)
Van (Speaker) "Are you stupid, master will kill you for opening the glove box"
Van (IM to house) "Your glovebox has been broken into, get more help"
etc, etc.

Imagine the possibilities =) I don't just want boring status, I want conversations.

Lots of work to do...

Vaughn
OpenSourceAutomation.com

 

[drozwood90]

have you looked at the www.mp3car.com forums? There is a TON of stuff going on in there.

I've seen people hook in all sorts of "kits" from ebay, powered windows up/down, temperature, TPMS, ODBII, etc.

--Dan

 

[Quixote_1]

Dan,
Location-based automation could be accomplished with Tasker as long as the phone is awake at all times and has service.
I'd like to use the phone without service to avoid having to pay the outrageous data service plan fees we have in Canada.
I have no solid ideas so far, but I'm looking for ways to use automation for more than just checking up to see if the car is still in the driveway, etc.
If there is hardware that I can wirelessly monitor with the phone and provide voice announcements or trigger events over a network based on those devices, that would be ideal.
Maybe I could have one phone monitor certain things such as the gas level and whatever else I can expose through the car's chip.
(I should mention that I know nothing about this, so I'm only making somewhat educated guesses.)

ver0776, you have some awesome ideas. I'm looking forward to reading more about the van.

I'll take a look at the mp3car forum. Thanks for the tip.

 

[electron]

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are very useful in this scenario:

• There are a few BT OBDII readers on the market (should be able to write your own app to parse the data if you like coding), here is one which has good reviews.
• BT can also be used to detect if the car is in the driveway
• Some high end alarm systems also have a web/app interface now (CompuStar, Viper, etc.)
• A very low-power I/O system with a WiFi connection should allow you to interface some of the hardware.

It really depends on the stuff you want to do. I personally look for the car presence, and have the ability to remote start the car via my home automation system.

 

[Quixote_1]

I've ordered an ELM327 BT device and an android app. Now I need to find out if I can remap the ECU and still read it correctly using ODBII.

I was thinking I may look into setting up an adhoc network using the old phone for other devices that can communicate over a network, if possible, otherwise I can try with a wireless router using a weak signal. Maybe eventually I will install a car computer and run Girder on it.

 

[tmbrown97]

If you want to go the router route, check out the cradlepoints - they're not terribly strong without an external antenna; they can act as an ethernet bridge as well; and they often come with a 12V adapter.

 

[Quixote_1]

I have a d-link kicking around and I'd imagine that being in a metal car, its power would be diminished somewhat. It also has a setting for transmit power.
For now I want to go the cheap route for my experimentation and once I figure out what works and what I will settle on, I may buy some new equipment.
Thanks for the insight and fresh perspectives, guys!

 

[Quixote_1]

here is an interesting question:
does anyone know how to send events from one instance of Tasker over a LAN to another one?

 

[electron]

Only method I can think of right away is by running a webserver which supports some sort of scripting language. Tasker can send a GET/POST request, so the other instance of tasker could check if a file has been created/modified (via the webserver).

 

[tmbrown97]

I have a d-link kicking around and I'd imagine that being in a metal car, its power would be diminished somewhat. It also has a setting for transmit power.

That should be fine... but just FYI - while metal is bad for Wifi, glass is not - and cars have plenty of that too. I used to run an old Kyocera broadband router in my suburban (with a 3G card) - and it was STRONG. I would stay at hotels and have no problem working off my wireless in out in the parking lot; and at home would often drift to the car's wireless and not even notice. The cradlepoints are short range unless you add an external antenna - good and bad I suppose.

 

[Quixote_1]

Only method I can think of right away is by running a webserver which supports some sort of scripting language. Tasker can send a GET/POST request, so the other instance of tasker could check if a file has been created/modified (via the webserver).

I was hoping to avoid setting up a car computer for the moment. I want to use only my old phone and my new phone if possible.

 

[electron]

I was talking about running a webserver on the Android phone, couple of them out there. Tasker can be triggered by file changes, so you just need to find a webserver which lets you execute some type of script (php, perl, shell). I just haven't had time to locate the right software, but if you search the market, I'm sure you can find something.

 

[pete_c]

I've played with CarPC's close to 10 years now. Initially I basically I tapped into the Navigation display; it wasn't touch screen though. I used a kind of Bus sniffer to figure out what the knobs did on the radio / steering wheel and just mapped those to the application running on the CarPC. Back then the Epia Via was the choice for a CarPC; and the draw was still heavy enough that I had to build a tank circuit and have a charging tank battery for a nice shutdown of the PC.

FF to a couple of years ago; someone did write a "remote" control piece of software for Windows Mobile phones such that I could remote all of the CarPC controls to a vitrual remote control. I looked at it and never tried it.

These days though you can get pretty much all of the stats from both the Bus and ODB stuff concurrently with a CarPC; not really needing to add anything. I can see the GPS stuff broacasting a position coordinate, speed in MPH, even today I can open and close windows, turn on and off lights, probably even make the built in GSM radio talk or receive with its built in SIM card. So really you could probably totally remote your automobile with an internet connection and your Android phone.

Much of the technology is propietary and really never gets out to the public; so its really a reverse engineering methodology. I had a friend at GM that would always answer my questions relating to the bus etc on the GM vehicles; but the last time I spoke to him; he really didn't tell me much. I was at the time trying to figure out the whole video / display thing with the GPS on the Escalade (neighbors vehicle). Really though its gone virtual though with the ability of not displaying certain things on the display reading the bus. It used to be more mechanical using voltages like when you backed up and stuff; now these days all of the stuff is just broadcasted on the common bus of the vehicle.

Many things have changed. I retrofitted a European Blue tooth module in one car for the car phone. I can do more than just make phone calls with it. I can receive texts and email with it in addition and get alerts to messages etc. The SR/VR functions work well with it. With the newer vehicle's Blue tooth module; its very basic and allows me to make and receive phone calls but I can't do much else with it; stifled a bit in design; maybe on purpose though.

You could though add autonomous automation with direct sensors etc all connected to just the CarPC bypassing the built in "stuff".

BTW similiarly to "bricking a phone" you have to be aware that you can also "brick" your navigation / electronics in your car. A cell phone is a couple of hundred dollars to replace. The navigation electronics / computer that's already part of your car is much more than just a couple of hundred dollars more like a couple of thousand dollars or more to replace.

I updated the OS on my navigation system. It was a few step process using customized DVD's; kitchen like baked with updates to base system, graphics etc. My first attempt ended up with a sort of "blank screen" sitting waiting for a new OS. As the NAV system uses the HU for the radio, heat etc functions; I couldn't see anything (still the functions worked blindly of sorts). Major panic as the vehicle was only a week old or so. After repeated attempts and I guess the right order of timing of events; I was able to get it to upgrade. Part of the firmware upgrades though were related to reading a dual density DVD ROM. A direct write the FW of the DVD ROM; a glitch would could brick the firmware on it.

I have noticed now you can buy all in one retrofit units that look and act just like the factory stuff with similiar connectivity; except its both a touchscreen and uses knobs. Most of this stuff is based in CE or WinXP. Cost is significantly less than stock OEM NAV stuff but higher than a custom retrofit would be. Say if you were to utilize a Joggler as an HU computer screen; it'll work but the screen isn't sun proof; not a translucent type made for an automobile "view". It'll basically wash out with the sun reflecting on it. Currently the screen on my HU is polarized such that if I turn my sunglasses 90 degrees the screen turns black. There are numerous companies that also make the HU shell for like liliput screens that allow for retrofit. The "shells" are almost or more expensive than the computer itself. They do have a "finished" quality about them.